Paralympic Swimmer Jessica Long Turns to Demi Lovato Before She Races

ESPNW—Swimmer Jessica Long won’t know if she’s going to the Rio Paralympics until June, but given her track record of racking up gold medals (she now has 12!) — she’s basically got her bags packed and is ready to go to Brazil.

“I would love to take a classic photo with my arms out in front of Christ the Redeemer,” she told us at the 100 Days Countdown to Rio in Times Square at the end of April.

In the meantime, she’s going to turn up the volume on her “Girly Girl” playlist, as she calls it. “When I’m about to race, I really want to listen to fun, but also relaxed music because I don’t want to get too nervous.”

Her go-to before a race: “The Demi Lovato song, ‘Give Your Heart a Break.’ I’ve listened to it before a race for the last four years. The beat and some of the lyrics inspire me.”

Find her full playlist on espnW.com!